


here is my heart, coming 'round the bend

by valdera



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Epilogue, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, they're in love, this is sappy and wonderful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 09:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valdera/pseuds/valdera
Summary: The anticipation in the air crackles. The wonder in Mikleo's breath is palpable.217 years and some things don't change.Mikleo is still himself. A person he knows will carry his beautiful strength for the entirety of his life. He will never stop being kind.And the hand he holds hasn’t changed. He's held only one person’s hand in his entire life.He’s already sure, but after 217 years, he needs to see for himself in order to truly understand.Mikleo looks up and he sees the person he's been thinking about for all these years. He can’t hide the way his eyes widen when he sees his face as it blocks out some of the sunlight. He could never hide anything, not to him. He can’t hide the helpless smile that forms on his face as he clutches onto Sorey's hand as tight as he can.He’s back, and Mikleo wants to bask in his presence for the rest of his life.or: an extended cut of the epilogue





	here is my heart, coming 'round the bend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [uraa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/uraa/gifts).



> watched the epilogue, cried, and decided to write this

His hands skim over the jewel as it glistens blue. It pulses with a familiar sort of energy, only it seems to feel more electrifying than the usual jewel he encounters. The air here is charged with something akin to anticipation—a dizzying feeling that leaves him with a spiking heartbeat and nothing to say.

Some ruins are like that. Some ruins are that beautiful like that. Some ruins make him anticipate. Some ruins make him wish more than anything in the world that Sorey could be by his side.

Most ruins do that, actually. Every ruin did, in the first few years.

Now, after so long, some ruins make him want so badly it leaves his heart aching for days. Even then, the air makes his heartbeat soar, because Mikleo always remembers their promise.

He shakes himself out of his stupor. 217 years and he's been thinking about Sorey for every one of them. It’s lonelier now that Rose and Alisha are gone. They’d passed away a while back with a smile, and with satisfaction at having seen the world grow so kind. _It reminds me of him,_ Alisha had told him, once. _When I see the world the way it is, when I see all these people… they remind me of him._

 _I can feel him in the air_ , Mikleo had confessed, then. _Not just the air. I can feel him everywhere, and I can feel his promise to me, and it feels like he’s always calling for me._

That statement is still true. It’s not a conscious thing, but Sorey is ever present in Mikleo’s space, even when he’s not thinking about him. 

It’s a bit bittersweet without Rose and Alisha around. But he’s not sad. The loss of a friend is a great one, but he is not alone, and honors the people left behind as best as he can. The wounds of loss never heal, but they always hurt a little less over time.

 _I'll be back_ , Sorey had told him, with no hesitation. _A long time... but I'll be back_. It is the kind of promise only Sorey would make. It is the kind of promise only Mikleo would accept. It is the kind of promise where he makes a promise back. He promises to wait. And so Mikleo does. He may not have said the words out loud, but Mikleo can feel those words in his bones. Sometimes he can hear them in the wind, or in the sound of his footsteps against the ground. Sometimes he sees it written in the stars or in the shadows of the moon. In the crackling fireplace he hears it, and he’s no longer sure why he feels so warm. And when the water is perfectly still, Mikleo will bend over to see his reflection and find Sorey right by his side.

Mikleo looks at the shining sun and as he thinks of him, he smiles.

He wonders when the both of them will come back home.

It’s not an obsession. It’s not a hallucination. Mikleo just lets Sorey exist all around him, because he does not want to forget. Because he wants to honor him while he’s gone.

Mikleo lays his hand flat on the jewel. It glistens. He's about to make a note of this place in the book Edna calls his "honeymoon itinerary," because it's the list of the places he wants to see with Sorey when he gets back. He still flushes red whenever she calls it that. Because she’s not wrong about what she’s saying.

217 years and he's never stopped waiting. Never will.

217 years and his breath catches as the ground gives beneath him.

He can feel the air rush all around him. His hands are just flailing upwards from the surprise and the lack of balance. He's ready to save his fall when a steady hand catches him.

The anticipation in the air crackles. The wonder in Mikleo's breath is palpable.

217 years and some things don't change.

Mikleo is still himself. A person he knows will carry his beautiful strength for the entirety of his life. He will never stop being kind.

And the hand he holds hasn’t changed. He's held only one person’s hand in his entire life.

He’s already sure, but after 217 years, he needs to see for himself in order to truly understand.

Mikleo looks up and he sees the person he's been thinking about for all these years. He can’t hide the way his eyes widen when he sees his face as it blocks out some of the sunlight. He could never hide anything, not to him. He can’t hide the helpless smile that forms on his face as he clutches onto Sorey's hand as tight as he can.

He’s back, and Mikleo wants to bask in his presence for the rest of his life.

Sorey is wearing the Shepherd’s glove, and Mikleo’s free hand brushes up against the feather tied around his waist. Sorey looks amazing. His grip is strong and familiar.

And his smile is still radiant enough to make Mikleo dizzy.

Really, everything about Sorey makes Mikleo dizzy. Everything about Sorey does strange things to his heartbeat, until he thinks he can't take it. But everything about Sorey envelops him like the most pleasant heat, until he turns soft and calm. Being around Sorey is like being a hurricane; Mikleo is in his element and calm in heart, but a maddening storm on the outside.

There is not a feeling he loves more. There is not a person he loves more.

"Sorey," he whispers, not daring to blink, even under the harsh sun.

And Sorey’s smile softens and his eyes grow impossibly fonder. Mikleo wants to sob at when he sees that smile. From relief, from exhaustion, from everything. So he does.

"Only you, Mikleo," Sorey says, and he pulls him up.

They collapse onto each other in a tight hug near the edge, and they roll away from the place the ground gave way, half play-fighting, half settling into the same old routine of finding any way to touch each other.

It's so hard not to love him. It's so hard not to grin with all his might.

So he loves him and doesn't bother to wipe the huge smile off his face.

They roll to the edge of the room and suddenly Sorey is sprawled over him, face flushed and laughing, a perfect mirror to Mikleo's actions.

Sorey threads his hand through Mikleo’s hair. Mikleo wants to see him better, but he's so busy with feeling Sorey's hands in his hair and feeling the lingering heat of them everywhere else that he can't find it in himself to wipe his tears.

"Why are you crying?" Sorey asks, still smiling. He has never been one to cry. He expresses his feelings in the brightness and loudness of his entire being. If Sorey took another form, he would be the beautiful sun. And like the water, Mikleo feels like he is sparkling under his presence.

"Your hair got long," Mikleo manages to say. "Cut it. It's ugly."

Sorey knows why he's crying, that idiot.

He’s smiling. "I'll cut it," he promises, "if you don't cut yours."

Then he leans down, close enough that Mikleo can see the individual lashes on his eyes. His eyes glint with a familiar trickery. Mikleo turns a faint pink from the closeness, from his smile, from the anticipation. Sorey's lips brush against his ear, and Mikleo shudders. He felt that in his soul.

"I like your hair a lot," Sorey says, "but you still haven't answered my question, _Mikleo_."

His name has never sounded more beautiful than now, falling from Sorey's lips like a dedicated prayer. But that's how his name always sounds on Sorey's lips.

Sorey rises up just a little, staring into Mikleo's eyes. The passion in them is just a little too much to bear; Mikleo feels like he may burst from the love he feels, from the love Sorey gives. He tilts his head to the side, smiling a secretive smile, and looks back at Sorey with teary eyes.

"You already know I love you," Mikleo whispers. The air around them sparks and swoons along with his heart, in line with the melody of his voice. This close, he knows Sorey can feel his heartbeat, and he lets him. He lets his conviction speak for itself.

"I love you too," Sorey breathes, like it comes naturally, like it's been on the edge of his tongue for 217 years. "Now and forever."

He helps Mikleo up into a sitting position, their legs tangled up with each other. One of Sorey's hands is on his back; the other cups Mikleo's jaw with a softness that makes him feel electric.

Sorey has always been like that, electric and gentle. Mikleo cannot explain how the contradiction exists, but he understands it, and lets it wash over him.

"As much as I'd love to have you cry over me," Sorey continues, looking at Mikleo like he is the sun and moon and stars and world, leaving his head muddled with a sweet feeling that could never be put into words, "There's something I want to do, first."

Mikleo's hands ghost across the lines of Sorey's body before he pulls him closer. The scent of him, the feeling of him—Mikleo is intoxicated by everything about him. He is resting his hands on the back of Sorey's neck when the hand cupping his jaw slowly slides up and wipes his tears away in the gentlest motion.  
Mikleo’s breath hitches.

"To you, I promised I'd be back," Sorey says, voice light and airy with love. "To myself, I promised to do one thing when I came back."

Mikleo smiles. Some people make you feel like your whole life is anticipation. He craves his relief but he cannot help but enjoy the wait.

There is nothing he would change about this moment.

"You always keep your promises," he says, breathy, eyes fluttering shut.

He has already memorized how Sorey feels, how he looks, how he acts. Even in the dark, Mikleo can see all of him. Even with his eyes closed, he loses no vision of him.

And when Sorey kisses him, he can feel his euphoria, his gentle touch, his electricity sending shivers down Mikleo's spine. He feels his promise and it fills him with everlasting warmth.

Mikleo kisses him back.

This is something much stronger than magic.

He presses closer to him, and he finds himself with his legs hooked around Sorey's back, kissing him with a force that seems to make the air spark around him. It seems like the walls should burst into fire, just for the two of them.

It seems impossible that Sorey is not the center of the world. It seems impossible that it does not bend to his will for all of his existence.

A single look and Mikleo will love him forever. He is the center of everything, and Mikleo falls into his smile without a try for resistance.

And Sorey loves him back. Because everything they do, they do together.

He slides his hands up, feeling the lines of Sorey's skin until he reaches his hair and entangles his hands within.

The want inside him surprises him. Not in the force of it. He's always wanted him, wanted Sorey, but the rush it gives him, the way it surges, the way Sorey meets him touch for touch—it surprises him.

They break apart for air. Mikleo is breathing heavy as he opens his eyes, staring at Sorey in a daze.

Sorey looks at him through glassy eyes. Then his gaze drops down to Mikleo's lips.

"We need to talk," Mikleo hears himself say. He cannot stop himself from staring at Sorey’s face, flushed with heat. And then he says, "But… not now."

Sorey nods vigorously. “Yeah,” he says, voice hoarse.

He runs his hands through Mikleo's hair. He traces the line of Mikleo's jaw.

Mikleo removes his hands from Sorey's hair, bringing them to settle on his back in a relaxed position. He exhales, long and slow, blinking a few times.

"Sometimes," Sorey says, "I don't think you're real."

Mikleo laughs. "You're too good to be a dream of mine," he says. "After 217 years, shouldn't I be the one wondering if it's really you?"

"Maybe," Sorey says. He hums listlessly for a few moments, dropping his hands down to Mikleo’s waist. "I've changed," he says. "The sleep doesn't mean I didn't change."

“I knew it was you the moment I saw your eyes,” Mikleo says. “No fake can have your eyes.”

“You know me too well.”

"I've changed, too," Mikleo says, after a beat. "But... some things never change."

Sorey nods. "Somehow I remember everything," he says. "I thought I’d lose all of my memories. I thought I'd forget everything except for you."

"You're a seraph?" Mikleo asks.

Sorey nods but his gaze is wandering, flitting up and down as he looks at Mikleo, almost as if to remind himself that Mikleo is really there. "I thought we could talk later," he says, with a small smile, gaze finally returning to Mikleo’s eyes.

"Sounds good," Mikleo says.

"But… not now,” Sorey says, with a smirk. “I forgot to say something, first.”

"And what was that, you hopeless romantic?"

"Only for you, Mikleo," Sorey responds, and Mikleo flushes, indescribably pleased.

He ducks his head, and carefully looks up at Sorey through his lashes, smiling bashfully.

"I’m home, Mikleo," Sorey says, and he moves his hands away from Mikleo’s waist to offer his arm to him. He’s got that effervescent grin that Mikleo has always loved.

Mikleo removes his hands from Sorey’s back, shifting away a little to get comfortable. And he presses their wrists together, and something in the universe rights itself.

“I’m home,” Mikleo echoes. _He came back_ , he thinks. _He found me_. Mikleo can feel the wanderer in him fade as their wrists touch. The empty space fills with a deep want.

"God, I want to kiss you so bad right now," Mikleo mutters.

"Really?" Sorey asks, playful. "Then why don't you?"

So Mikleo moves his wrist away and intertwines their fingers, watches Sorey's eyes widen in surprise before they soften, and waits for Sorey to blink before he surges forward and kisses him hard. He knocks Sorey down to the ground, but soft enough so it doesn't hurt. Their joined hands slide past their heads and Mikleo feels like nothing but pure delight.

When they break apart from _that_ , Mikleo is grinning like his life depends on it. He knows his face is glowing just as bright red as Sorey. It’s been 217 years but the both of them have a lot of life left, and they are young and dumb and happy.

"Oh my god," Sorey straight-up whimpers, "I don't think I want to do anything else. Ever."

"We're in a gorgeous ruin and the only think you can look at is me," Mikleo realizes with glee. " _Sorey_."

Sorey is grinning. "Say my name again," he tells him. "I love hearing it from you."

"Sorey. Sorey. Sorey. Sorey. _Sorey_. I love you so much, Sorey," Mikleo babbles, riding a rush of euphoria that will never end.

Sorey makes a garbled noise of happiness, shouts "Yeah, me—me too!" and kisses him again.

This time it feels like comfort. Mikleo realizes that this will happen for a long time. And it will be just as wondrous every single time.

He will never get tired of it. When they break apart, they make eye contact and lean into each other, pressing their foreheads together. They look away, nervous from all the energy buzzing inside them.

"...Talk?" Mikleo offers and Sorey makes a noise of agreement. They slowly get up. Mikleo does not let go of Sorey's hand. Sorey does not let go of Mikleo's hand.

They walk out of the sharp sunlight, entering the darker part of the ruins, where the fire glows around them. It is bright enough to see Sorey’s face, and he looks warm and happy and soft, even in the red glow.

"How do you remember everything?" Mikleo asks.

Sorey smiles. "I don't know," he says. "But I knew I would remember you. Now I remember everyone, and that's nice."

They walk along the ruins in silence for a moment before Mikleo says, "Rose and Alisha are dead.”

"I know," Sorey replies. "I felt it. 217 years, right? I… know the big things. I could feel them." He pauses for a minute in contemplative silence, and groans. "The next thing I say will be really cheesy," he grumbles, “but it might be true."

Mikleo smirks. "Everything you say is cheesy. What is it?"

"Maybe the reason I can remember everything," Sorey says, slowly, "Is because I remember you. And you were always with me." Sorey glances at him to gauge his reaction before quickly looking away, blushing.

"Sweet-talker," he says, voice trembling, just a bit. Mikleo is blushing too. "You're always so nice."

Sorey squeezes his hand. "I'm just… happy to be back. To see you again. To see the seraphim again."

Mikleo smiles. "Me too." He digs through his pocket with his free hand before producing a small, leather-bound book. "For you," he says, handing it over to Sorey.

Sorey takes it with a look of pure reverence. He releases Mikleo’s hand to open the book with a shaky motion. "Mikleo..." he whispers, before trailing off.

"It's. Some ruins," Mikleo says, avoiding his eyes. "I… wanted to visit them. With you. Together." He laughs, and his nervousness shows. “Edna calls it my honeymoon itinerary.” He wants to reach for Sorey’s hand, just to quell the restlessness within him.

“Well, I do want to marry you someday,” Sorey mumbles, without much thought.

Mikleo turns a bright red, but Sorey is too occupied with the book to notice.

Sorey continues, “But—I love this, I just—” He closes his eyes, taking a breath.

“Yeah?”

"You remembered," Sorey says, soft, on the edge of something like surprise. His fingers brush across Mikleo's careful handwriting. He looks to him, eyes shining. "Finally," he says. "The whole world. It's ours to discover."

He stares down at the book, and his hair obscures his face. The silence stretches between them. Mikleo can feel the hidden stars glitter in the air. Suddenly he’s so much younger, standing under a beautiful array of lights with Sorey, more beautiful than them all.

"Sorey?" Mikleo asks, leaning in close, and when Sorey turns towards him, his eyes are wet with tears.

He tackles Mikleo in a hug and spins him around, and he's sobbing as he does it, whispering "Thank you, thank you, thank you," like a chant.

"Armatize with me," Mikleo says, suddenly, swept up in the feeling. Seeing Sorey cry feels like something vibrant and precious. He reaches out, and wipes away the tears on Sorey’s check.

"I’m not the shepherd anymore," Sorey says, blinking rapidly, before he releases Mikleo to rub at his eyes. “I—not everything is the same, Mikleo.” His voice is endearingly tender.

“Neither am I,” Mikleo answers, “but we still, we still—”

“Fit,” Sorey finishes for the both of them, smiling.

Mikleo nods, and then he sighs. “If I’m being honest,” he confesses, “I just wanted to hear my true name from you.”

Sorey smiles. “I still can do that.”

“Yes,” Mikleo says. “And I still know yours.”

At that, Sorey grins. “I still know you. All of you, you ruins nerd, you stubborn seraph, you beautiful—”

“ _Stop_ ,” Mikleo groans, flushing. “That’s embarrassing.”

“And even now, I won’t stop teasing you,” Sorey says, confident.

“Some things are eternal,” Mikleo responds. “Like—”

“Like the way I love you,” Sorey interjects, and then he tilts his head, smiling playfully. “Like that one?”

Mikleo exhales a happy breath. He feels like he’s melting. “Not what I was going to say,” he replies, and Sorey’s face falls. Mikleo waits a few seconds before continuing, “I meant that some things are eternal, like our dream. Some things… they never break. Not the two of us." he meets Sorey’s eyes. “And it is eternal, the way _I_ love you.”

Sorey tugs at Mikleo’s sleeve, and steps a little closer. There’s barely any space between them. He stares at Mikleo, who doesn’t look away. They stay like that for a few seconds, and it feels like a fleeting eternity.

"Okay," Sorey says. "Hold my hands."

So Mikleo does. He closes his eyes, at the behest of Sorey's will.

And ever so quiet, ever so gentle, Sorey whispers, " _Luzrov Rulay_."

There is no shining light, no magic. There is just his true name hanging in the space between them, and he can feel the light glowing inside of them. Mikleo opens his eyes. He feels like truth and heart all over again. They are not one body, but they are two souls so intertwined with each other that they cannot break apart.

They stay like that for a minute, and Mikleo floats on the dreamlike bliss he experiences, with Sorey so real next to him. Then they break apart, stepping just a little away, still holding hands, and they laugh.

 _This is a reunion_ , Mikleo thinks, and he’s suddenly happy all over again. _He’s back._

And nothing will ever be the same.

Because you can never pull apart a bond so strong it changes destiny. Because you can never pull them away from each other. Because now, they will never let each other go.

"It took you long enough," Mikleo says. He's too happy to care.

"I'm never leaving you again," Sorey promises, and Mikleo believes him. Sorey always keeps his promises.

They kiss again in the shadow of the ruins as the fire glows inside them, brighter than the lava pouring all around, and in the dark Mikleo knows every truth.

Finally, _finally—_

They have both come home again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> the title comes from "oh my love" by layla. it's a soft love song and i felt like it fit. and like sormik, it makes me cry. 
> 
> uhh this is my first sormik fic ever so i hope i did them justice? big thanks to uraa for introducing me to them and the game!!
> 
> hmu @ sonnets-of-beauty (i am rarely active, but i do respond to messages)


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